News - Free SurfaceReader 1.0 now available

This exciting new application uses your installed screen reading package to make control surfaces talk. Read all about it and get the download from the
SurfaceReader page.

Sibelius Access

We are temporarily hosting the Sibelius Access solution for Avid's Sibelius V5 notation program. Please go to the
Sibelius Access page for more details.

What We Do

Raised Bar exists to improve the accessibility of musical equipment and
resources to visually-impaired musicians, together with their colleagues and
teachers. We can offer advice, training and testing to end-users,
interested institutions and manufacturers.

Our Mission

Our clear mission is to make the very latest in music software and hardware fully accessible using our years of experience in the field of accessibility technology.
Working in conjunction with major manufacturers of midi instrumentation we are here to enable visually-impaired musicians to attain their musical goals.

How Do We Do This?

Utilising over 15 years of experience and our understanding of appropriate working methods, available accessibility tools and their configuration, we can get most things to work. Where existing techniques fail, we can engage in a dialog with the manufacturer about programmatic and ergonomic changes that can transform their products into models of good practice and usability.

Who Can We Help?

Whether you’re a manufacturer, a software house, university, or a musician, we’re here to guide you through the maze of accessibility technologies which will revolutionise the accessibility of music creation tools, today and for the future.

"I'm a manufacturer, why should I care about this?"

If you are an electronic musical instrument manufacturer or music/audio-based software house, there are very good reasons why you need to be talking to us.
For each item of equipment you produce which is made accessible, you are presented with a direct sales opportunity. For every piece of midi equipment you make accessible, you are gifted a loyal multi-purchase customer. In short, if visually-impaired musicians can utilise your equipment fully and with ease, they will continue to purchase your products over a manufacturer who “doesn’t care”. Conversely, by not addressing the issue of solid accessibility to your products, you may well be placing yourself at a huge marketing disadvantage when bidding for those important educational contracts.